In this ISC2 Insights conversation, Chris Green sat down with David Pemberton, Regional Director for CISA Region 8 to explore protecting physical and cyber infrastructure and the 2030 Defend, Harden and Prevail strategy.
Region 8 covers Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, where CISA works directly with critical infrastructure owners and operators, state and local governments, and other organizations. Pemberton described CISA regions as functioning as the service delivery arm of the wider agency, providing voluntary, free support across both cyber and physical security.
Pemberton discussed CISA’s newly announced 2030 Defend, Harden and Prevail strategy, which responds to the growing speed, complexity and potential consequences of cyber and infrastructure threats. Rather than focusing solely on preventing incidents, the strategy considers how critical services can continue operating and recover quickly in severe scenarios, including extended disruption to power or communications.
The Three Pillars of CISA's Strategy
The strategy is built around three pillars: leading national cyber defense, prioritizing national infrastructure security and mobilizing national resilience. Operational technology is a particular area of focus because of its importance to critical infrastructure and its potential vulnerabilities.
Pemberton stressed that resilience cannot be achieved by the federal government alone. Collaboration among government, infrastructure operators, cybersecurity professionals and professional communities is essential.
He highlighted ISC2 and its community of certified cybersecurity professionals as an important “force multiplier” in that effort. By bringing practitioners together to share expertise and confront emerging challenges collectively, professional communities can help strengthen the resilience of the organizations, infrastructure and essential services on which society depends.
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